Concord, CA - Calumet Electronics Corporation recently purchased March’s PCB-800 plasma treatment system to enhance their printed circuit board manufacturing capabilities. Their need for plasma processing was driven by a growing market for applications requiring three-point etchback processing (a three-point connection at the inner layer post), and materials that contain higher Tg blend epoxies including Bismalemide Triazine (BT) and Polyimide.

When asked why Calumet Electronics Corporation (CEC) purchased the March Plasma system, Elden Hendrickson, Jr., Procurement Manager replied, “We have always been committed to continuous improvement. We did extensive research to insure the best ROI. We polled our material suppliers, visited several production facilities that own March systems, and met with the March team at their Florida facilities. The results showed that March Plasma Systems was the best choice for our needs.”

While the March plasma system was initially purchased for three-point etchback, which was not possible with conventional chemical processing, CEC established that plasma treatment was also more effective for pre-treating materials such as polyimides and BTs prior to electroless copper processing. Plasma increases the surface energy, providing for excellent lamination and wettability for plating through-holes.

CEC, located in Calumet, MI, has been manufacturing printed circuit boards for over 35 years. All boards are manufactured from UL-recognized materials according to a Quality System that is registered to ISO9001:2000 and certified to the Military Specification MIL-PRF-31032. Their highest commitment is to quality, performance, and customer satisfaction; providing a lower cost of ownership for prototype and production requirements. Visit their website, www.cec‑up.com for a complete overview of their product offerings.

March Plasma Systems is the global leader in gas plasma technology for the PCB, semiconductor, and webbed material industries, with direct support centers in CA, FL, Singapore, Europe and Japan. With over 20 years of continuous innovation, March designs and manufactures a complete line of award winning and patented plasma systems that support all markets. An expert staff of scientists and engineers is available to assist in the design of plasma processes that improve both product reliability and production yields.

• Elden Hendrickson Jr., Procurement Manager, Calumet Electronics Corporation
• Brian Hess, Process Engineer, Calumet Electronics Corporation